Are you interested in seeing more than just Sibayak volcano during your visit to Berastagi, Sumatra? Don’t let Berastagi be a mere stopover en route to Lake Toba or Medan. There is more here waiting to be discovered than you might imagine.

Siamang gibbons are the largest of all gibbon species and they are endangered. They can occasionally be heard calling on the jungle trail on Mt. Sibayak -another trek that I can guide you on- but there is a larger population to be found farther down the mountain range that connects with Mt. Sibayak, and this is the trek I want to tell you about. The starting point for this day trip is a village called Sendun that sees almost no Western tourists at all. If you are looking for a bit of adventure and nature, then the Berastagi Gibbon Trek will be of interest to you. On most days, at least one and often two families of Siamang gibbons (which locals refer to as “black gibbons”) can be heard calling loudly from the hills (see the video below for a sample).

Have a look at this video, recorded by a tourist in July 2016, to get an idea of what Siamang gibbons sound like:

This location is a 1-hour drive from downtown Berastagi. I usually meet up with tourists at the popular Mexico-Resto cafe and guesthouse in Berastagi, where we make plans about when we want to begin the trek. I can arrange any kind of trip you like in Berastagi. You can find me on Facebook at Johanes Brahmna. And you can also email me at: majorpada@yahoo.com or, if you’re already in Indonesia, you can call me at: 085321671067

We can pack a lunch and head out to the village, enjoying a scenic drive along the way that few Western tourists ever see. After meeting up with our local guide in Sendun village, we will embark on a 45-minute walk to an orange orchard that lays on the edge of a the raw jungle, and it is from the jungle that one can hear and, if we’re lucky, actually see these endangered apes.